Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

त्वया चात्र न कर्तव्यमहं ते मित्रतां गतः । नाशयिष्यामि ते मृत्युं यद्यपि स्यान्महत्तरम्

Transliteration

tvayā cātra na kartavyamahaṃ te mitratāṃ gataḥ | nāśayiṣyāmi te mṛtyuṃ yadyapi syānmahattaram

Translation

“ท่านอย่ากระทำสิ่งนี้ ณ ที่นี่เลย เราได้เป็นมิตรของท่านแล้ว เราจักขจัดความตายของท่าน แม้มันจะน่ากลัวยิ่งนักก็ตาม”

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘कर्तुं योग्यं/कर्तव्यं’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• ते: for you / to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (enclitic form)

• मित्रताम्: friendship
• मित्रताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• गतः: having attained
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः—‘गतः’ = ‘has attained’

• नाशयिष्यामि: I will destroy
• नाशयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्/नाशय् (धातु; णिच् causative)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (enclitic form)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/अपि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• स्यात्: may be / were to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्तरम्: greater
• महत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तरप् (तुलनार्थक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual intervention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate, authoritative figure steps between the king and the fire, raising a hand in prohibition and reassurance, declaring friendship and promising to ward off death.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Indradyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected through compassion and right counsel; a sage redirects a seeker away from self-destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The protective counsel occurs within the Naimiṣāraṇya narrative frame, highlighting it as a refuge where dharma is upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct prohibition is given—‘do not do this’; it is ethical instruction rather than a ritual rule.